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Nov. 18., 1924. 1,516,022

H. P. MACDONALD ET L.

BooK sTAx Filed Oct. 5, 1917 Lt-Sheets-Sheet. l

H. P. MADoNALD ET AL BOOK STACK 4 shets-sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5

Nov. 18, 1924. 1,516,022

H. P. MACDONALD ET AL BOOK STACK Film 061.5, 191'? 4 sheetssxun 5 lWWA/iss: l l [M 22@ 'Nam 18, 1924. 1,516,022

' HA P. MACDONALD ET Al.

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47m/Mfrs Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY P. MACDONALD, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, AND ANGUS S. MACDONALD, OFGREAT NECK STATION, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE SNEAD & CO. IRON XVORKS,OF JERSEY CI'IY-v NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BOOKSTACK.

Application filed October 5, 1917. Serial No. 194,890.

To all whom 'it may calice/11.

Be it known that we, HARRY P. MACDON- ALD, ot Montclair, county ot'Essex, and State ot' New Jersey, and ANcUs S. MaonoNaLn, ot' Great NeckStation, county ot Nassau, and State of New York, have invented certainnew and uset'ul Improvements in Bookstacks, ot which the following is aspecitication.

This invention relates to book stacks for libraries and it has for oneof its primary objects the provision ot a book stack structure havinggreat latent elasticity for the purpose ot resisting earthquake shocks.Another object o'l the invent-ion resides in the provision ot a bookstack of simple construction and inherently stable independ ently ot thelibrary building, and which 'tun thcrmore may be utilized as a means forsupporting the building walls whereby lightness and economy in thebuilding struct-ure are obtained.

Our invention also contemplates the provision of an improved book stackstructure which is stable but latently elastic and in which all of themembers are so disposed that all strains and stresses are distributed atright angles whereby twisting moments are eliminated.

1n addition tothe foregoing our improvement resides in the provision ofa book stack structure having the characteristics set forth, but inwhich the book space is' encroached upon to a minimum extent only.

The foregoing, together with such other objects as may hereinafterappear, is ac co-mplished by means of a construction, a. preferredembodiment of which is shown in the accompanying dra-wings, wherein-Figure L is aV diagrammatic side elevation, partly in section and partlybroken away, showing three ranges and several tiers'ot a stackcontaining` our improvement; Fig. 2 is a side elevation on a largerscale showing several tiers of a typical main column in which therelation ot the shelves, the deck bars and deck flooring with respect tothe supporting columns is developed; Fig. 3 is a detailed view showingthe column joint structure and deck bar supporting means; Fig. et is asectional detail showing the column joint structure and tie barsupporting means; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V of Fig. -lshowing the construct ion ot the supporting columns and the relation ofthe deck bars and tie bars with respect thereto.

As shown diagrammatically in F ig. 1 the structlufe comprises aplurality ol ranges A spaced apart to provide longitudinal aisles B,said ranges being composed of a plurality of superimposed tiers, at the.levels ot' the joints ot which are placed columnsupporting` deck barstructures indicated as a whole at C and to be hereinafter morespecifically described. 1n the embodiment shown the stacks areoii' thedouble-:face type, i. e., provided with book shelves D on both 'laces otthe supporting columns, which book shelves may be ot any preferredconstruction, although shown in the drawings as being of the detachablebracket type.

The range columns arc each comprised ot sections 7, 7, 7b, and so forth,depending upon the number of tiers to which the structure is built up,such sections being superimposed upon one another and of substair tiallythe same dimension, with the exception ot the top section which ispreferably made smaller for obvious reasons.

Each section of a range column is comprised of two sheet steel modifiedU-members S having fianges 9 placed face to 'face and welded together orotherwise secured. The lower sections 7 of the columns are supported onthe main floor or piering 10 and splice members are provided at thesection joints, such splice members comprising four bent formed quadrantgusset plates 11 with laterally projecting flanges which are si cured atopposite sides ot the flanges 9 ot the column sections by means of boltsand nuts 12. Each gusset plate is provided at respective ends with abracket flange or lug 1S and a bracket flange or lug la shown in Fig. 5at right angles to one another. The lugs 13 are spaced apart so as toreceive the vertical legs 15 of the deck bars C, and the. lugs 14 arespaced apart to receive the ver tical legs 16 of the tie rods E. Thedeck bars C and the tie rods E are secured by means of the nuts andbolts 17 between their respective lugs, the deck bars extending tromcolumn to column between respective ranges, and the tie rods extendinglongitudinally ot the ranges from column to column ot the respectiverange.

The hollow supporting columns have a Ll fi plurality oil apertures 1S.in the walls thereo't, such holes being' adapted to receive the hooks19 and the lockingv projections Qt) ot the bracket shelves l).Extending' longitudinally ot the ranges the deck bars are provided withcurb angles 2l on which the declr 'Flooring 2l is carried. 'lhe topsections 7b ot the respective columns are tied together by transverseand longitudinal tie rods Q2.

The manner ot assembly is :is follows: the bottom sections 7 of therange columns are set up with the gusset plates ll forming` a splice forthe joints in position thereon and pi' jectingl endwisc thcrebeyond andthe floor framing' members or deck bars as well as the tie rods aresecured in position bctween the lugs termed on` the gu. et plates. Thenent tier ot column sections is then superimposed and fastened to thegusset plates il carried by the lower sections, and the deck bars andtie rods `tor such tier are secured in place, and so on with the balanceot the structure. By this arri'ingelnent it will be seen that each tieris self-supportine. so that the whole structure can bc simply andrapidly/1' put up. it the same time the sections ot the columns aremaintained in alignment since the gusset plates in clt'ect cinistitute asleeve cn'ibracinn the top end ot the lower column and the lower end otthe upper column and connected to both, columns. This splice also giveskood bearing` and connection between the sections so that the loads otan upper tier are properly distributed over a lower tier. lt will alsobe noted that the deck iooringl and the tie bars are held rigidly atright angles to the line ot the columns and in the median planes thereotso that no twisting strains are imposed upon the columns. Furthermorethe position oit the columns is lifted both transversely andlongitudinally ot the ranges by the declr bars and the tie rodsresiiiectiyely. exactly at the joint between the sections.

Vy the foregoing;- arrane'ement it is posu sible to erect a bool; stackwhich will stand independent ot the bracing; that is eener-allyatl'orded by the surrounding` walls ot the stack room, or else bydiagonal rods extendU ina' through the stack conipartments. Suchintrinsic stability ot the stark is an advantage otl importance both inthe erection ot the building and also inv its stability a'tter erection,and in addition allows tall. thin walls to be tied together and bracedby the stack` construction without the sacrifice ot the bool: space thatis necessitated by the use ot diagonal tie rods. `lhirther more theconstruction ot supporting' columns and splices tor the oints theretor.`and the arrangement of the deelt bars and tie rods, while such to lendstability to the structure. nevertheless is inherently ramone elastic toexternal stresses so that the structure will resist earthquake shockswithout impairment.

This elasticity ott the structure is due not merely to the absence ofdiagonal tie-rods` but also to the latent elasticity ot sheet metalcolumns 7, 7, 7b and gusset pla-tes ll themselies, owing` to their bentup formation as here illustrated and described. ln the par ticularconstruction here shown, it will be seen, the parts are so securedtogether as to develop their latent elasticity very etilictively uponoccasion` since the gusset plates l1 do not interfere materially withthe elas tic action oit the columns T, 7, 7, or viceversa. F or example,it (scc Figs. 'l and 5) considerable longitudinal stress is brought tobear on ai stack range il, it can bc taken up by deflection ot the rangethrough elastic distortion (bending or twisting) in the gus sets l1,owing to the relative remoteness oi the bolts 12 that attach the`eussets to the column. flanges 9 from the bolts 17 that attach thelongitudinal ties lll to the gusseta-to say nothing' ot uitinniterelativo movement ot the parts about the bolts 13T themselves. Or it,again, transverse stress is brought to bear along a deck beam (li thenthe gussets ll. and the loney sides oit the quadrangular columns '7, 7,T" that carry the lianges 9 can yield elastically by bending inward.Such elastic actions could not, of course, take place so readily andfreely it the column 7, 7a, 7b were also provided with longitudinallianges E) on its other two sides, and the gussets il with correspending flanges bolted to such additional column tianges inside of thelugs lil.

lt will be observed that the lugi's 13 and 11i are narrower than thecolumn-engaging' portions of the gussets ll lengthwise ot the columns,so that the horizontal bracing; members C, E can be aligned with theactual junction of the abutting column sections 7, 7, 7'* withoutinterference troni the horizontal flanges ot such members (l, lil. isshown, the upper edgi-is ot the lugs l-l for the longitudinal tics lllare below those ot the lugs 13 tor the transverse deck beams C, whosetop flanges are thus correspondingly above those ot the ties. Thisrelation ot ties and decir beams is particularly iadvantageous invlibrary stack constructionA` for reasons that will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art, minimizing; interferences ot the stack structurewith the space available for books.

ln general, the construction compact, neat, light in weight. simple andeconomical.

'We claim:

l. column unit for library stach construction comprisingY an elasticsheet metal column section proper, and elastic bent up quadrant gussetplates embracing and eK- tending beyond the end of said column sectionso to serve for aligning therewith and securing thereto the abutting endot an adjacent section, said gussets having bracket flanges or lugs atopposite sides of' the column section projecting laterally therefrom forthe attachment of horizontal bracing members, and being secured to thecolumn section only at points remote from said lugs.

2. A column unit for library stack construction comprising an elasticsheet metal column section With longitudinal flanges projecting from twoopposite sides, and elastic bent up gusset plates embracing one end ofsaid column section and having flanges projecting laterally at oppositesides of said column flanges and endwise beyond them, so as to overlapthe corresponding flanges of an abutting column section, each of saidgussets being secured to the column section only at. the aforesaid twocolumn flanges, and having bracket flanges or lugs at right angles toone another projecting laterally from said column section, for theattachment off deck-beam and tie-rod meinbers.

3. column unit 'l'or library stack construction comprising a columnsection proper, and bent up quadrantgusset plates secured about andextending beyond one end of' said column section so as to serve toraligning therewith and securing thereto the abutting end of an adjacentsection, said gussets having bracket flanges or lugs for the attachmentof deck beams projecting laterally from opposite sides of the columnsection, and other lugs :for the attachment of horizontal tie rodsprojecting from the other sides ot the column,` below said deck beamlugs.

d. bookstack comprising in combination a plurality of verticalsupporting columns each composed of super-posed elastic sheet metalsections, splices t'or the column joints each comlnising a plurality otelastic bent up gusset, plates overlapping adjacent ends o'l' thesections and having lugs pro-4 jecting from, the column, and horizontalmembers interconnect-ing adjacent columns and attached to said lugs, thestack being elastic to external stresses by virtue of the elasticity andinterrelation of the parts, and yet intrinsically strong and stablewithout necessity for diagonal tie-rods.

5. A bookstack comprising` in combination a plurality of verticalsupporting columns each composed of superposed elastic quadrangularhollow sections, splices for the column joints each comprising aplurality of bent formed gusset plates overlapping adjacent ends oi thesections and se cured to their sides, and having lugs projecting fromthe sides of thc column, and horizontal members interconnecting adjacentcolumns and attached to said lugs, the stack thus being elastic toexternal stresses by virtue of the elasticity of the column sides andthe interrelation of the parts, and yet intrinsically strong and stablewithout necessity for diagonal tie-rods.

G. A book stack rance inherently selfsupporting independently ot' thelibrai.)v building structmfe, and elastically yielding' to extrinsicstresses, said range comprising vertical support-ing columns eachcomposed of superposed column sections; a plurality of' elastic bent upquadrant gusset plates about the abutting ends ol the column sectionsserving to maintain them in alignment, each of' said gussets havingbracket flanges or lugs projecting from the column toward adjacentcolumns of the range, and also at lright angles to the range; and tierods extending from column to column in the range secured to the firstmentioned bracket lugs of said gussets; and said gussets being securedto the column sections by their other bracket lugs only, so as to makethe range relatively elastic in the direction of its length by virtue ofthe elasticity o'l the gussets,

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

' HARRY P. MACDONALD.

.\ NGUS S. MA CDONALD.

